Bob Shaw makes dash at residential carpet

Engineered Floors on Monday announced the acquisition of Dream Weaver Carpet Industries of Chatsworth, Ga., in a push into the residential market for Bob Shaw, founder of the Dalton, Ga.-based manufacturer.

Shaw founded Engineered Floors in 2009 after stepping down from his namesake business, Shaw Industries, in 2006. Since then he has rapidly expanded, building plants in Calhoun, Ga., as well as Dalton.

He achieved success by manufacturing carpet for the rental or multifamily housing market using modern machinery and methods, he said, but left the door open for an expansion into new territory.

"We want to be No. 1," said Shaw, chairman and CEO of Engineered Floors in an interview last week.

Kemp Harr, publisher of Floor Focus magazine, said the deal will give Engineered Floors inroads to the single-family market, which has struggled amid the national housing crisis.

"This will give Engineered Floors access to a residential platform," Harr said. "Right now, Bob Shaw just makes beige carpet -- that's all that multifamily wants. Now, he'll have to have a little more styling."

Both Engineered Floors and Dream Weaver work with solution-dyed polyester carpet, which forgoes the use of less plentiful nylon fiber and cuts expensive steps out of the manufacturing process.

"Dream Weaver has been a huge customer of Bob Shaw's yarn since the very beginning. He basically bought a customer," Harr said.

The companies didn't disclose the price of the deal and no immediate staffing changes were announced in an Engineered Floors news release.

"We are excited to have Dream Weaver Carpets become part of the Engineered Floors organization," said Shaw. "By combining resources, we can accelerate their growth and help maximize our production efficiencies."

Dream Weaver, founded in 1992 by Melvin Silvers, will maintain its brand name, and will double the size of its exhibition at the Las Vegas "Surfaces" show this year, Harr added.